Heart Disease Resources

People of all ages need to keep their heart healthy. Eating well, exercising regularly, and seeing your health care provider can help you keep your heart healthy. Work with your healthcare provider and adopt good lifestyle habits to help lower the risk of heart disease.

Heart disease describes conditions related to plaque building up in the walls of the arteries. Other conditions include arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms), congenital heart failure, and heart valve problems.

What is your risk?

Heart disease can happen to anyone, including children. You can be born with it, and a family history of heart disease may increase your risk.

Most heart disease develops over time due to poor habits such as smoking or eating an unhealthy diet. Having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes also increases your risk of heart disease. Talk with your provider about ways to prevent or manage diabetes and control other risk factors.

What is a good resting heart rate?

A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Remember, factors such as age, physical activity, and overall health can affect what is considered your normal resting heart rate.

Talk to your provider if you have concerns about your heart rate.

How does high blood pressure affect heart health?

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Causes for high blood pressure include:

Diabetes
Being overweight or obese
Smoking
Not getting enough regular physical activity
Unhealthy diets, including high amounts of sodium and alcohol

Talk to your provider about how you can lower your blood pressure to help avoid heart disease and stroke.

How can you lower your risk of heart disease?

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, poultry, and fish; avoid having too much salt or sugar
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise at least 150 minutes per week
• Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar at a healthy level
• Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products
• Follow your doctor’s recommendations

Can heart disease be treated?

Yes. Talk to your provider about how to safely reduce the risk of heart disease. You can also talk about setting goals for a healthier heart. Your provider may also prescribe medication.

What are symptoms of a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is severely reduced or blocked. Be aware of the following symptoms:

Fatigue
Cold sweat
Nausea
Chest pain
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Pain in the jaw, neck, arms, shoulder, or back

Call 911 if you or someone you know is having a heart attack.

What can cause Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic condition that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood and meet your body's needs. The following factors may increase your risk of CHF:

Diabetes
High cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Poor diet
Not getting enough physical activity
Smoking and/or using tobacco
Being overweight or obese
Stress

Talk to your provider to learn more about CHF.

What can cause heart arrhythmia?

A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. Factors that may cause arrhythmia include:

Blood sugar levels that are too low or too high
Caffeine, illegal drugs, and certain medications
Dehydration
Low levels of electrolytes, such as potassium, magnesium, or calcium
Physical activity
Strong emotional stress or anxiety
Vomiting or coughing
Smoke
Use illegal drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines
Drink alcohol more often and more than is recommended (no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women)
Take certain antibiotics and over-the-counter allergy and cold medicines

Talk to your provider about how to prevent arrhythmias.

Here are some resources to help you prevent or manage heart disease:

Managing Blood Pressure Flyer

American Heart Association

High Blood Pressure Resources Page (CDC)

Heart Health Articles and Videos (Healthwise)

Get Coverage Today

Tell us more about yourself to find qualifying plans and estimate costs.

Get Started

More Heart Health News:

October is ADHD Awareness Month

10/20/2020 • Posted by Fidelis Care

If you or a family member is struggling with ADHD symptoms, you are not alone. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children - and many adults.

There are many treatment options that can help reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Treatment options can include lifestyle modifications, medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of these. If you have questions about which treatment is right for you or your child, follow up with your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor or a psychiatric provider, you can use our find a doctor tool to find a network provider in your area: https://www.fideliscare.org/Find-A-Doctor#/search.

If you or your child is starting or restarting medication therapy, make sure you see your doctor for all scheduled appointments. The best medication treatment for ADHD can vary based on the individual. That’s why it’s important that you or your child are seen regularly by your ADHD provider, who will monitor your response to medication therapy, and adjust medications as needed to ensure that the medication regimen is working as it should.

If you don’t know when your next appointment is, or if you missed your last appointment, don’t worry! Life can be stressful and sometimes things fall through the cracks. We understand that the COVID-19 crisis can make it difficult to stay on track with routine medical care, so we also want you to know that most providers are now scheduling telehealth appointments. You or your child can be seen from the safety, comfort, and security of your home if needed. Please call your doctor today, and schedule your or your child’s next visit, or ask any questions you may have.

ADHD Informational Brochure

Click here to view (PDF)

For additional resources for ADHD:

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd-listing.shtml

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-Who-Cant-Pay-Attention-Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder-006.aspx

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml#part_145449

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html

https://chadd.org/adhd-and-covid-19/